Yeah, I wandered away from Myspace pretty quickly. Livejournal is much neater and more organized. Plus, a lot less crazy blinking text and surprise music.

Guinea pigs aren't terribly noisy, but it really depends on the pig. Some of them might never even make a peep unless they're scared. They all have different personalities, so some are noisier than others. But I've never encountered a pig that constantly made noise. Oh yes, I've had cockatiels. :D My mother has one, and he can be terribly loud. Especially at dinner time, because he wants to be a part of the action. He'll eat when they eat, and try and 'talk' while they're talking. But he at least quiets down when no one's around, and entertains himself with his toys.

Ah, the dreaded armpit piranha! ;) I've had some bad experiences with chihuahuas. They can be terribly spastic and vicious, and ridiculously temperamental. And you really can't get more sane than a guinea pig. I'd recommend a female, as they tend to be more docile than the males, and if you ever wanted a second, it's easier to introduce a grown female to a new cage mate than a male - the males can get territorial as they mature.